Uddhav dares BJP to go solo in Local Body Elections, in Sena’s Dussehra rally

Shiv sena chief Uddhav Thackeray addressed the party’s annual Dussehra rally at Shivaji Park on Tuesday. He dared the BJP to snap ties and go solo for the Zilla Parishad, Thane Municipal Corporation Polls and the BMC Polls.

 

He said, “If you have the courage, then break the alliance now and fight with us, children of the tiger, directly. Don’t stab us from behind. We will show you how our surgical strike can be.”

 

Uddhav added, “Mumbai belongs to Sena and Sena to Mumbai. Whenever any trouble has befallen the city, it is Shiv Sena’s saffron that has come to the city’s rescue. If you are ready to walk with us together, do come happily, but don’t expect us to follow you with a begging bowls.”

 

The Shiv Sena supremo used the platform to align with the Maratha community, supporting its demand for reservation in government jobs and education, as well as amendments to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

 

The Sena chief also lashed out at the Prime Minister and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for campaigning for BJP candidates for every state election. “After the Lok Sabha polls, there has always been some or the other state elections and we behave as if we don’t have any topic nationally more important than elections. The Prime Minister has the responsibility of the entire country, and the chief minister, the entire state and both have taken an oath to treat everyone equally. They should not campaign for the candidate of a single party,” Thackeray said.

 

Apart from making political remarks in context of upcoming BMC elections, Thackeray also reacted to the surgical strikes conducted by the Indian army across the border targeting terror launch pads. “We congratulate Indian Army and PM Narendra Modi for the surgical strike.” Thackeray also justified the demand to ban Pakistani artists, stating that his party was the first to demand such an imposition. He further recommended the Narendra Modi government to adopt a strict stance against the erring neighbour. “Government should once decide what relations are to be kept with Pakistan,” Thackeray added.

 

 

He also criticized Congress and the Aam Aadi Party for distrusting the Indian Army by expressing doubts over the surgical strike, calling for sedition charges to be slapped against such leaders.

 

Thackeray also sounded the poll bugle by announcing that around Diwali, he will start visiting all the Sena’s shakhas to interact with the party cadre, appraise the work done so far and understand local needs going into elections.